It's fair to say that Erik Lamela had a disappointing first season in English football last year.

Used sparingly by Andre Villas-Boas from August to December, form and fitness were hard to come by at his new club, and once Tim Sherwood became manager Lamela barely featured, not deemed ready for the first team and then struck down by injury.

The young Argentine, who may even have been in Brazil if he wouldn't have been ruled out at the end of the season with a back injury, declared on his Twitter feed that he was looking forward to the start of the new season, with a shot of him doing some conditioning training in the gym.

It will be a happy sight for Spurs fans yet to see anywhere near the best of their record signing. This time last summer Lamela was one of the most highly thought of young players in the world, having starred for Roma and scoring 15 goals in 35 games.

With countryman Mauricio Pochettino now in charge, there are high hopes the winger can vastly improve on his single goal in 17 appearances at White Hart Lane, many of which were substitute appearances.

If he gets anywhere near his form in Italy, Tottenham will have one of the best attacking players in the league on their books.

Che Thomas

Che is an Englishman abroad unable to cut the apron strings tying him to the crazy world of English football. As a writer and freelance journalist, he has covered matches and cultural events from across the globe all with the intention to inform, entertain and provoke debate. Just as smitten with music, film, and photography, though fully aware of the fact that nothing takes the place of that Saturday afternoon excitement down at N17 (even when it's actually on a Sunday!)